New Chances
by The Mormon And Otaku
Summary: Tsuna has never considered going out with Haru. But when Haru decides to ask him out, he realizes how much she loves him, and decides to confront his feelings about her. (Oneshot)
1. Chapter 1

Biancchi and I were sitting at our usual hangout spot: The ramen stand. Bianchi-san was already eating, while I kept staring at my bowl. Eventually, she noticed that I wasn't eating, and asked, "Haru? What's wrong?"

"Huh? O-oh, it's nothing, Bianchi-san!" I wave my hand and laugh, trying to dismiss my poutiness.

It doesn't work. "Haru, I know when something's bothering you." She then leans her head onto her hand and says, "Tell me…. Is it about love?"

I squeal in shock, "Hahi?! H-how do you know?!"

She chuckles. "I can always sense love. Does it have to with Tsuna?"

"...Yes." I say, mopey.

"What's the matter, dear?"

"He won't accept my love! I constantly tell him how much I love him, but he doesn't bat as so much an eye to me, even when I spend all night making him lunch!"

Bianchi curses. "That boy really has no respect for women's feelings…."

I decide to finally eat some of my ramen, not wanting to waste my money. I eat a few bites, but I then stop. "Bianchi-san? How do I get him to love me?"

"Tsuna? Well-"

"And I don't mean me just proclaiming my feelings. How do I get him to finally notice me as a woman?"

"Oh! Well…." Bianchi didn't really liked Tsuna. She had grown to respect him, but still silently blamed him for hogging Reborn all to himself. But when she looked at Haru, she put her dislike for Tsuna aside, and decided to give her the best advice she could give. "You need to tell him how you really feel."

"But I already have-"

"No, not in the way that you've been doing."

"Huh?"

Bianchi looks at Haru with a serious look. "Tsuna, knowing his naivety, probably sees your feelings as a daily routine. You must confess to him that you want to date him!"

As she says this, I blush. "H-HAHI?! D-d-date?! Isn't that a bit too f-fast?"

"Why? You proclaim to him that you want to marry him, don't you?"

"Y-yes, but-"

"Then what's holding you back from dating him?"

"..." Haru sits quietly for a few moments. Then she answers, "I've always wanted my life to be just like in the stories. A prince saves the damsel in distress, and they live happily ever after. When he saved me and shouted one of those really cheesy lines…. I felt like my fantasy was being fulfilled. When he told me he was part of the mafia, I couldn't help but think of him as a spy fighting for justice." Haru laughs, a few tears in her eyes. She wipes them away and says, "Is that childish of me to think like that?"

"No," Bianchi says with a serious tone. "Not at all."

This surprises Haru. "R-really?"

She nods. "I think that's really romantic."

Haru smiles at that. "You know, Bianchi, you're the only one I can talk to about romance. You never make fun of what I say, and you always give me respect."

These words make Bianchi blush, unused to being praised. "Wow…. Be careful, or I might fall for you instead." They laugh, and even the chief of the stand could feel the warmness of the atmosphere.

"...Can I…. Really do this Bianchi?"

Bianchi grabs her hand and says in a tender tone, "Haru, I am more sure that you can than anything else in this world."

"...Hmph!" She nods, her eyes filled with vigor. "Haru will win Tsuna's heart! ….After I finish this ramen." Haru then starts eating quickly, since it had started to grow cold. So does Bianchi.

Tsuna yawns as he wakes up to the Friday morning. _It's my day off of school, but of course it has to be filled…. With…. Huh?_ He notices that his alarm clock read 10:50 AM. He rubs his eyes, seeing if it was a dream. _Reborn always wakes me up in case I sleep in. So does mom._

Filled with fear of what Reborn was planning, he throws on some clothes and walks down the stairs, calling out to Reborn and Nana. He walks into the kitchen, and sees that she isn't there. _What the-?! What's going on?!_ As he looks around, though, he sees a note on the table. Picking it up, he silently reads:

'Dear Tsuna,  
I can tell that you're confused by this-' _Is this from Reborn? Only he would write something like this._ '-But today is an important day for someone. If you don't go to the Sunlight bridge at exactly 11:00, I'll tell Hibari about the time you cheated on that test so you wouldn't get grounded.

-Reborn.'

Tsuna screams, and quickly rips it up and washed it down the sink. _If Hibari finds out, he'll really kill me!_ Flashbacks of when he bit him to death at the hospital made Tsuna sweat buckets. _I only have 10 minutes! I need to go NOW!_

He quickly flew out the door and ran as fast as his legs would carry him to Sunlight bridge. When he turned the last corner that led to the bridge, he checked his phone and saw that it was 10:59. Tsuna sighed in relief. _I made it!_

However, walking to the bridge, he saw Haru waiting for him. She was in a peach-colored dress, and her hair was shining a bit. Tsuna blushed at the sight of her. "H-Haru? What're you doing here?"

"...I was waiting for you. Did you get the note that Reborn left?"

He groans instead of answering. "Uhh…. So, what's with the dress?"

"Tsuna…. Do you remember this bridge?"

"Huh?" Looking at it, he remembered that it was the bridge when Haru attacked him. "Yeah. This is where you fell in the river."

Haru smiled and nodded. "I'll never forget this place. This is where I first fell in love with you."

She walked over to the edge and leaned on the railings. The breeze blew her hair up a little.

"When you yelled that you'd save me, it made me happy. It was the first time that anyone had ever said something as silly as that to me."

Tsuna stood silently, unsure of what she was saying.

"Thinking about it now…. I think I understand why you never responded to me whenever I told you that I loved you. I was being immature about it." She then turns to look at Tsuna. "I was in a fantasy that as long as I said I loved you, you would eventually return my feelings. But now I know that if I keep fooling myself, I'll never be able to tell you how I really feel."

"R-really feel?"

Haru stepped closer to Tsuna. Blushing, she gently grabbed Tsuna's hands, which in turn made him blush. "Tsuna, I love you. I think you're kind, caring, strong, loving, a good friend, and so much more that I can't put it on a list. I want you to notice me, to tell me how lovely I look! To tell me how great the food that I make for you is! I want…." Haru's throat closes for a second, and her eyes tear up. She then gulps, and says, "I want you to go out with me!"

"...!"

Tsuna stuttered, unable to get a word out. His face was red-hot, and his chest was tied in knots. He couldn't comprehend what she said, and the emotions that were swelling inside him.

So he blacked out, collapsing onto the ground.

Reborn was the one who woke Tsuna up, punching him in the face. "OWWW! R-Reborn?! What was that for?!"

Reborn growled, "I'm disappointed in you, Dame Tsuna."

"Eh?"

"You've fought in battles where you could've easily been killed, yet you can't even man up to a woman's feelings?!"

When he said that, Tsuna remember what had just transpired. He blushed, remembering Haru's words.

 _I want you to go out with me!_

Tsuna shook his head as he sat up on his bed. _What do I do? I love Kyoko-chan, but it feels wrong to reject her after what she said…._

"Just be honest with yourself."

"Huh?"

Reborn's expression was on the borderline of serious and menacing. "She had the courage to tell you how she felt, even though it was embarrassing. Now you must do the same."

"But I-"

Reborn boots Tsuna out of his bed. "No excuses! Now go back to Haru and answer her!"

"Hiiiii!"

Tsuna ran back to Sunlight bridge, but found that she wasn't there. He remembered Reborn shooting at him, threatening him that if he didn't make things right by the time dinner started, he'd tell Hibari about the test. Scared, he starts to run around town in all the places she would most likely be, but with no luck.

 _Aaaaaargh! Where could she be?!_

He grew frustrated, but as he kept looking for her, he kept thinking about her confession. … _.She wants to go out with me…._ He takes a moment to consider her request. _No! I can't do it, I love Kyo-_

Reborn's words suddenly echo, " _Just be honest with yourself."_

"!"

Tsuna slowly stops running, and thinks on these words. _What do I think about Haru….?_ She could be aggressive at times, and always invaded his privacy. But then he thought of all the times that she smiled, the times that she stuck by them in hard moments. It then struck him how every time she would try to get intimate with him, he always pushed her away.

 _I…. I was a total jerk to her. All the times she was opting for my attention, I always thought about Kyoko. I never gave her words a second thought._

He felt guilty for always ignoring her. After a few moments, he nods to himself as he decides what he's going to do, and continues to look for Haru.

He finally finds Haru at her favorite cake shop, stuffing herself with sweets. Clearing his throat, he catches her attention. She ignores him though, and keeps eating.

Determined to fix this, he walks straight up to her. As he gets closer, he sees that Haru's eyes were red. _She's been crying about this._ It reinforces his determination.

"Haru."

She doesn't reply.

"Haru, I need to apologize to you."

"...For what?"

"For being a jerk to you! All this time you've been trying to get my attention, and I just shrugged you off!"

As he says this, she stops eating and looks at him. "To be honest, when you first said you were in love with me…. I thought it was a joke. Even though I fantasized being with Kyoko, I never thought that I could be friends with her, much less go out with her! It was the first time anyone ever praised me like that."

Haru looks at him with pity. "Tsuna-san…."

"I know I hurt your feelings, maybe beyond fixing. But I…. I want to have a chance to make this right!"

"What? But…. Don't you love Kyoko?"

"...I do. But even though I love her, that doesn't mean I have to hold onto that forever. I need to expand my horizons."

"Huh?"

"Haru…." Tsuna blushes, and scratches his head. "W-would you like to…. Go to the movies with me tomorrow?"

….

"H-HAHIIIII?!" She yells as she jumps out of her chair, her arms covering her face. "Y-y-you want to…. G-g-go out with me?!"

Tsuna could feel the eyes of everyone in the store focused on him. Normally, he would run away and hide, but he couldn't run from this. He nods and says confidently, "Yes. Please go out with me Haru."

"Y…. Y…."

She jumps into his arms and shouts, "YES, I WOULD LOVE TO GO OUT WITH YOU TSUNA!"

"W-whoa!"

They fall onto the ground. Haru's cries into his shoulder, and Tsuna smiles. _I feel…. Good about this. I thought that this would be much harder…._

Unbeknownst to the two, Reborn was disguised as a potted plant in the store. Smirking, he whispers to himself, "Was that so hard Tsuna?"

=====================================================================

"Haaaahhhh…." Tsuna sighs as he walks back to his house. "She wouldn't let go of me. My shoulders still hurt…." Still, he smiles as he looks back on the day.

 _Tomorrow, I'm going out with Haru…. All this time I've felt like I'd be betraying my feelings for Kyoko if I went out with another girl, but now I see that that's not the case. I'm allowing myself to have an opportunity of the both of us being happy with someone else. I never thought that I'd feel this liberated._

As he approaches his house, he sees Reborn standing on the wall next to the gate. "Ciaossu!"

"Ah, Reborn! I did it!"

"I saw it."

"Wait, you did?!"

He nods. "I was the potted plant on the table that Haru was sitting at."

Tsuna blushes in embarrassment, but then Reborn continues, "You've grown real mature, Tsuna. I'm proud of what you did today."

"Reborn…." Smiling, he replies, "I'm glad you pushed me to do it. I never would've been able to do it on my own.

Reborn smiles back, and then hops down from the wall to the ground. "Since you did what I told her, I have to keep my end of the deal."

"Deal…. Oh yeah!" _I forgot about him threatening to tell Hibari that I cheated…._ "Thanks for keeping your word."

Reborn pulls his hat down to cover his eyes. "Well, the thing is, Hibari already knows."

It takes a moment for his words to register into Tsuna's head. "...What?"

"Hibird was flying around your house, and saw my note. He sung it all day, including when he flew back to Hibari."

At that moment, Hibari jumps from Tsuna's roof onto the ground between Tsuna and Reborn. The aura that he was emitting would've made even Xander feel intimidated.

"Hiiii?!"

"I'm sorry Tsuna. And right when you were about to become a real man…."

Hibari's eyes glared with the ferocity of a hurricane. "Tsuna…." He flashes his tonfas, which gleamed in the dark. " **I will bite you to death."**

"Ah…. ah….  
AHHHHHHHHHHH!" 

As his screams echoed into the night, Haru was choosing what dress she should wear. _Maybe this one…. Ooh, that one's good too! Hnnnn, I can't decide what to pick!_

The end


	2. Spring Love for the Sky

**NOTE: This isn't a second chapter to this story, but a rewrite of the original chapter. Having more than a year of experience, I wanted to make this story better than how it came out, as this shipping deserves all the love it can receive. I love this story, and I hope that this re-edited version can give not my writing, but this story the justice I believe it deserves.**

 **Haru best girl!**

===* Haru *===

* * *

It was just another average night of hanging out with my friend Biancchi. We were sitting at our usual hangout spot, the ramen stand, where the chief had just place our food in front of us. It smelled and looked delicious. However, instead of digging into the ramen that I've eaten many times before, I just stare into the bowl. I was feeling mopey about Tsuna earlier today, and I wanted to be with Bianchi so I could get my mind off my troubles. The problem was, my brain kept going back to thinking about Tsuna! It was like my love for him was a switch that could never be anything else but 'on'. _Tsuna... How can I get you to notice me...?_

Bianchi-san was already eating, but she must've noticed that I wasn't also eating, because I hear ask me, "Haru? What's wrong?"

"Huh?" Her voice snaps me out of my daydreaming. "O-oh, it's nothing Bianchi-san!" I wave my hand and laugh, trying to dismiss my zoning out.

It doesn't work. "Haru, I'm not a fool. I _know_ when something's bothering you." She then leans her head onto her hand and says, "Tell me… Is it about love?"

I squeal in shock, "Hahi?! H-how did you know?!"

She chuckles. "I can always sense love. And whenever there's love involved with you, there's only one thing that it leads to... Tsuna."

My head drops in defeat. "...You're right," I say in a pouty voice.

"Well, what's the matter dear? Usually you're so energetic when you talk about him."

"It's just... Well..." I can't hold back my frustration anymore, and I yell, "He won't accept my love! I constantly tell him how much I love him, but he doesn't bat as much as an eye to me, even when I spend all night making him lunch!"

Bianchi curses at that. "That boy really has no respect for women's feelings…"

I decide to finally eat some of my ramen, not wanting to waste my money. I eat a few bites, but I take a moment to ask, "Bianchi-san? How do I get Tsuna to love me?"

"Tsuna? Well-"

"And I don't mean me just proclaiming my feelings," I clarify. "How do I get him to finally notice me as a woman?"

"Oh! Well…" _I still have a sore spot with_ _Tsuna. I respect him, sure, and he has my trust, but it's hard for me to get over him hogging Reborn all to himself. But seeing Haru like this... It's even worse. I can't just leave Haru like this._

Bianchi takes a deep breath and says, "You need to tell him how you really feel."

"But I already have-"

"No, not in the way that you've been doing."

"Huh?"

Bianchi looks at me with an unusual serious look. "Tsuna, knowing his naivety and his thick skull, probably sees you proclaiming your feelings for him as a daily routine. Your way of telling Tsuna that you love him is not going to catch his attention, as you've seen already. You'll have to take a more direct approach." Bianchi then points her finger dramatically at me and says loudly, "The best way to do that is to tell him that you want to date him!"

As she says this, I blush and scream, "H-HAHI?! D-d-date?! Isn't that a bit too f-fast?"

"Why? You proclaim to him that you want to marry him, don't you?"

"Y-yes, but-"

"And isn't dating Tsuna something that would make you happy?"

"I mean, it would, but-"

"Then what's holding you back from dating him?"

"..." I look down, staying silent for a few moments as I ponder my answer. Then I tell her, "I've always wanted my life to be just like in the stories. A prince saves the damsel in distress, and they live happily ever after. When he saved me and shouted one of those really cheesy lines… I felt like my fantasy was being fulfilled. Even when Tsuna told me he was part of the mafia, I couldn't help but think of him as a spy fighting for justice." I laugh, but tears well up in my eyes. I sniffle, and wipe the tears away before I ask her, "I'm afraid that if Tsuna sees how childish I see romance like, he just wouldn't like me at all, y'know?"

I had my head down, almost rest in my arms. I didn't know if I was going to cry more, and I didn't want Bianchi to see my like this.

However, I feel Bianchi give me a gentle pat on my back, and hear her say in a gentle voice, "I don't think that's childish at all. If anything else, I think that's really romantic."

Her answer surprises me. I lift my head up at her, and I see her smiling at me. "R-really?" I ask.

She nods. "Haru, you're one of the most purest people I have ever known. The way you think about romance, and the way you feel about Tsuna, is all just a part of you. Don't let yourself be ashamed by something that defines you."

Her words make my chest feel lighter, and I start to feel better. I give Bianchi a big and grateful smile. "You know, Bianchi, you're the only one I can talk to about romance. You never make fun of what I say, and you always give me respect."

My words make Bianchi blush. "Whoa… Be careful, or I might fall for you instead." We then laugh, as if there was nothing wrong in the world.

"...Can I… Really do this Bianchi?" I ask her, wondering if I was being too over-my-head about this.

Bianchi grabs my hand gently and says in a tender tone, "Haru, I am more sure that you can do this than anything else in this world."

"B-Bianchi...!" My heart starts to swell, and I could feel my eyes start to tear up. I wipe it away and reply confidently, "Alright! Haru _will_ win Tsuna's heart! I swear it!" As I say this, my stomach suddenly growls. "…Well, right after I finish this ramen." I then dip my chopsticks into my bowl and start slurping up my food, relishing in it's delicous taste.

* * *

===X Tsuna X===

I yawn as I start to wake up. It was Culture day, which meant school was closed for the day. However, it wasn't so simple with me. Not with _Reborn_ around. _It's my day off from school, but of course it has to be filled with… Chaos… Huh?_ I look over at my desk and notice that my alarm clock read 10:50 AM. I rub my eyes, wondering if this was a dream. _That's strange._ _Reborn would never let me sleep in this late, even on holidays._

Normally I would be relieved to be able to sleep in, but I knew better than that. If something was out of place, it meant that Reborn was planning something that I would most DEFINITELY not like. Filled with fear of what he could be planning, I quickly get up and throw on some clothes. After that, I walk downstairs and call out for Reborn and mom, wondering if they were around. There was no reply, so I start to assume that maybe mom was shopping for groceries when I see two notes on the table. One was from mom, which said that she was going to be with a friend today and took I-Pin and Lambo with her. The second letter, however, was from Reborn. I immediately have a sinking feeling as I pick it up and read it:

 _'Tsuna,_

 _Today is a special day for someone. If you don't go to the Sunlight bridge at exactly 11:00, I'll tell Hibari about the time you cheated on that test so you wouldn't get grounded._

 _-Reborn.'_

I scream in terror, and quickly rip up the letter and wash it down the sink. _How does Reborn know that? That happened months before I met Reborn... No, that's not important right now!_ _If Hibari finds out, he'll really kill me!_ I had grown a bit tougher as I had to fight life-and-death battles, sure. But one thing that I almost always draw a line at is crossing Hibari, _especially_ when it involved Namimori. Just thinking of what he would do to me if he finds out that I violated a school rule makes me sweat in desperation. _I only have 10 minutes! I need to go NOW!_

I throw open the door and sprint like my life depended on it... Which it probably did.

* * *

By the time I arrive at Sunlight bridge, I was all out of breath. I wasn't used to running like that for a long time. With dread, I check my phone for the time and see that it was 10:59. I sigh in relief, the earlier pressure instantly fading. _I made it...! My secret is safe!_

However, as I walk closer to the bridge, I notice a familiar figure standing alongside the railings; It was Haru. She was in a peach-colored dress, and her hair was reflecting the shine of the sun. She looked very pretty, and I felt embarrassed just looking at her. "H-Haru? What're you doing here?"

My voice catches her attention, and she turns her head towards me. She immediately smiles. "Tsuna-kun! I was waiting for you. Did you get the note that Reborn left for me?"

I groan at the memory. _Oh I got it alright..._ I nod my head and ask, "So... What's with the dress? Is today something special?"

Haru looks over the bridge, her eyes looking as if she was in another world. "Tsuna… Do you remember this bridge?"

"Huh?" Looking at it, I suddenly recall that that it was the same bridge when Haru tried to fight me over Reborn. "Yeah. This is where you fell in the river."

Haru nods her head. "I'll never forget this place. This is where I first fell in love with you."

Her words makes my heart thump. In all my life, I never expected a girl to ever say something like that about me.

Haru leans on the railing, and at the same time a warm breeze blows her hair up, making her look more stunning than she already was. "When you yelled out loud that you would save me, it made me happy. It was the first time that anyone had ever said something as silly as that to me."

My cheeks turn a beet-red. I was getting embarrassed just THINKING about it.

However, she wasn't done talking. "I've always loved stories where a prince and a princess meet, fall in love, and lived happily ever after. While most people saw those kinds of stories as cheesy, I found it to be romantic. I always daydreamed how a prince would come into my life, and that I would have a romance just the same way." Haru then pauses and looks down at the river with a nostalgic look on her face, as if she was watching me save her from drowning all over again. "Thinking about it now, I think I understand how come I behaved the way I did when I first fell in love with you; When I just kept saying that I loved you and kept putting myself right in front of you, thinking that everything would work out if I just kept doing the same thing over and over again... I was trying to reenact a fairy tale instead of trying to create my own ending." She then pushes herself off the railing and turns to me, looking very determined. "But now I'm ready to be serious, Tsuna. I want to tell you how I really feel."

"R-really feel?" I start to sweat buckets, and I quickly wipe it away with my forearm.

Haru takes a few steps to me, and soon her body gets intimately close to mine. My brain was racing faster than when I take a test, and I feel my chest twist in an uncomfortable knot that I've never felt before. But before I could state how nervous I was, Haru gently clutches my hands with hers. It was the first time that that's ever happened to me with a girl besides my mom, and I blush even more. "Tsuna," Haru says in a serious tone that I rarely hear from her, " _I love you_. I think you're kind, caring, strong, loving, a good friend, and so much more that I can't put it all on a list. But I would do it anyways, just to show you how cool I think you are."

"H-Haru, I..."

"Tsuna, I want you to notice me! I want you to tell me how lovely I look, and I want you to tell me how great the food that I make for you is! I want to be with you whenever I possibly can because there's no one else that I'd rather be with than you! I want…" Haru stops suddenly, and she closes her eyes. Her cheeks grow increasingly red, and it looks as if she was gathering courage to finish her sentence. There is a heavy silence for a few seconds before Haru's eyes snap back open and she says loudly, "I want to go out with you!"

"...!"

I try to say something- Anything. But my face was red-hot, and my heart was beating faster than I have ever felt before. My brain couldn't comprehend her words, and I felt a tornado of emotions that made my stomach sick. Everything starts to blur, faster and faster, like the whole world was spinning...

* * *

"Snap out of it, Dame Tsuna!"

I recognize the pain of Reborn's fist before I recognize his voice."OWWW!" I scream in pain and instinctively sit up, my cheek stinging in pain. I yell at Reborn, feeling pissed off, "Reborn, what was that for?!"

Reborn growls at me. "I'm disappointed in you, Dame Tsuna." His anger catches me off guard. Usually he's calm and wears a smile, but right now, he was glaring at me with a ferocious intensity. "You've fought in battles where you could've easily been killed, yet you can't even man up to a woman's feelings?!"

When Reborn says that, I suddenly remember what just happened. Everything that Haru said on Sunlight bridge...

 _I want you to go out with me!_

My face flares again. I scream again, still feeling confused as ever. _I can't believe I passed out from Haru's confession! That's so pathetic... But, w_ _hat do I do now? I love Kyoko-chan, but it feels wrong to reject her after what she said…._

"Just be honest with yourself."

"Huh?"

Reborn's expression was on the borderline of serious and menacing. "She had the courage to tell you how she felt, even though it was hard. Now you must do the same."

"But I-"

Reborn boots me in the face, causing me to fly towards the door. "No excuses! Now go back to Haru and answer her, on your own like Haru did! If you don't do it by the time it's dinner, I'll tell Hibari your secret!"

The blood suddenly drains from my face. "W-what?! But I-"

Reborn picks up Leon from his hat, and he transforms into a gun. Reborn points it at my forehead and says, "Now, before you have to do it in your underwear!"

"Hiiiii!" I quickly run out of my room, down the stairs, and out of the house to go look for Haru.

* * *

*3 Hours Later*

* * *

I did as Reborn said, and ran. I ran all over town, looking up and down for Haru, left and right, and then I ran some more. But apparently, I wasn't looking in the right places, as I found no trace of Haru. She wasn't answering her phone either, which didn't help me.

I try to keep running, but my legs were starting to feel like pudding. Before I know it, I collapse onto the ground, my body forcing me to take a moment to breathe. I lean myself back against a brick wall and slap myself in the forehead. _Aaaaaargh... Where could Haru be? I looked at Sunlight bridge, her school, her house, Kyoko's..._

Thinking about Kyoko, I suddenly think back to what Haru told me. I put my head between my legs and try to push that out of my mind, but I find that I couldn't. _What does it matter, anyways? I'm in love with Kyoko..._

Reborn's words suddenly echo in my mind as if he were here, " _Just be honest with yourself."_

"Be honest with myself..." I quietly mutter.

I look up at the sky. It wasn't close to being dark yet, but an orange hue was starting to settle in. There wasn't much time left. Strangely enough, that wasn't the thing that I was worried about in the moment. What I was afraid of most was of what I was going to say to Haru if I found her. _I mean, what would I even say to her? I wasn't even strong enough to tell Kyoko that I loved her on my own. The only way I could do that was to be in dying will mode..._

I groan, and my head drops back to my knees. _Does Kyoko even love me back?_ It was a thought that I didn't like to think about, but at the moment, I felt like I couldn't _not_ think about it. _I mean, when I confessed to her, she thought that it was a joke. Maybe she doesn't feel the same way about me that I feel for her. Maybe she only sees me as a friend... After all, I still am 'Dame' Tsuna. I'm no good at school or sports, and I didn't even have the guts to try and tell Kyoko that I loved her without being in Dying Will mode with my second attempt. What do I even have that she would even like about me?_

As I think that, Haru's voice suddenly echoes in my ears: _"I think you're kind, caring, strong, loving, a good friend, and so much more that I can't put it all on a list. But I would do it anyways, just to show you how cool I think you are."_

I blush at the memory of her words, but now there was a different feeling besides embarrassment. I felt... Happy about Haru's compliment. I felt special that she would even call me that. Right now, I thought, _What's so bad about dating Haru...?_

Instinctively I shake my head. _What about your crush on Kyoko?_ A part of me said. Then Reborn's advice echoed in my ears, which had me think, _Is it really okay to go out with Haru?_

I always thought that going out with Haru would be betraying my feelings for Kyoko. No, more than that, that it would be betraying _Kyoko_. It felt like a taboo to go out with Haru... At least, that's what I thought before. But now, after hearing Haru's confession, I had to question... _Do I really love Kyoko? Or do I love the idea of going out with her?_

I take a deep breath, and look for an answer within myself.

 _Yes. I do like Kyoko. I really, REALLY like her_ _... But, there's a part of me that's tired of daydreaming about her; Tired of waiting around to see if she really does love me or not._ Was that a bad thing, to be tired of waiting for love? I wasn't sure. _What am I doing, just waiting around for nothing? There's Haru, who's giving it her all with her crush. And then there's me: A below-average guy who's too scared to ask a girl out._ I chuckle in pity at myself. _Wow. I really am pathetic..._

 _...I…. I was a total jerk to Haru. All the times she was opting for my attention, I always thought about Kyoko. I never gave her words a second thought._

 _...Maybe... Maybe there IS a part of me that..._

As I feel something changing within me, I suddenly remember another problem. _Argh! It doesn't matter what conclusion I come to about this if I still can't find her!_ I take a moment to concentrate. _I checked all the obvious spots that she could hang out at. I even went to that ramen stand that she and Bianchi goes to! C'mon, think Tsuna! Where could she be?_

As I put my brain to work, I try to think of a place that Haru likes. A place where she can find solace and comfort...

Thinking about it, a place suddenly comes to my mind. One place that I hadn't checked yet.

My body fills with renewed vigor, and I quickly get back up and run as fast as I can.

* * *

After about ten more minutes of running, I arrive at the cake shop that Haru and Kyoko became friends at. I take a peek through the window, and to my great relief, I see Haru... And then my stomach drops when I see how red Haru's eyes were. She looked absolutely _miserable_ , and she had stacks of desserts on her table which she was shoving into her mouth.

I felt even more guilty, but I felt an even stronger feeling of determination, maybe even courage, to fix this. I walk over to the door and grab the handle, but realize just how _sweaty_ I was. I take a glance at my reflection in the glass, and see that my shirt was soaked in my sweat, which was _super gross_ , and I was pretty sure that I stank. "Hiiii! I look like a monkey!" I start to panic, and I think of going back home to change when I realize that there was no time left: It was almost dark, and by the time I got back Haru might be at home, determined to hate me for life. _C'mon, Tsuna... For once in your life, do this yourself!_

I felt nervous, self-conscious, and scared, all rolled up in my chest. But even so, I push the door open.

Haru's eyes wander towards me, but when she realizes that I'm here, she immediately looks away from me and shoves another cake into her mouth. I couldn't blame her.

"Haru," I say as I get closer. She doesn't reply, which reinforces my fear that I may be too late.

 _Don't get cold feet now...! Talk to her, even if she doesn't say anything back!_ I take a deep breath and try again. "Haru, I need to apologize to you."

She still doesn't look at me, but I can see her chewing a little bit slower. It was a start, if nothing else. "Haru," I continue, "I'm sorry for passing out when you confessed to me. It was... It was _beyond_ rude. I acted like a total pig to you."

As I say this, I notice that the people in the restaraunt had stopped chatting with each other. The place fell silent, save for Haru's chewing. _Why is everyone so focused on me all of a sudden?!_ I start to panic again, and I look down at my feet, feeling uptight and jittery. _Crap... I didn't plan this far ahead!_ "Haru, umm... I-I should've... That is, I mean... Well..." I try lamely, tripping over my words as fast as it came out.

"...*Sniff!*"

My ears catch that little sound. I stop talking, and I look to the source of the sound: Haru.

She had stopped eating her sweets, and was now starting to sniffle. Her body jerked tensely each time, like a person shivering in the cold. As I notice this, I catch something on her face: A tear, running down her cheek.

All of a sudden, Haru breaks down into _crying_. She covers her face with hands, sobbing uncontrollably. This, _this right here_ , cuts to the bottom of my soul. I freeze up, petrified by what I've done. It was hard to remember a time where I felt this guilty. "H-Haru...?" I ask weakly.

Haru wails from her hands. "Ts-Tsuna... *Sniff!* _Tsun-aaaaa... *Sob!*_ " She suddenly moves her hands away from her face, and then clenches them and wipes her tears underneath her eyelids. However, she cries more tears. "Tsuna..." She says in a croaky, depressed voice. "I-I'm... I'm sorry..."

"What?" I ask, confused. "What do you have to be sorry for?"

"I... I-I-I... Nghaaa!" She wails again, and leans her eyes into her wrists, propped up against the table. " _I'm sorry for making you hate meeeeeee!_ " Haru wails, loud enough for people outside the restaurant to hear her.

Her words shock me, even more than her confession. "Wha... What do you mean?" I ask, my confusion making me forget that people were watching us.

"I... I should've known a long time ago that I was just bugging you. It was obvious that you didn't like me back, but I just... I-I just couldn't accept it! I was so desperate to convince myself that you would return my feelings that I lied to myself! I kept telling myself that as long as I kept chasing you, you would... Y-you would..." Haru drops into another fit of crying. I felt paralyzed, and couldn't move a muscle or my mouth to try and comfort her. "I'm sorry for pushing you so much," Haru says, leaving her statement unfinished.

Haru's sobbing stops, but there were still tears in her eyes. She stands up, and says weakly, "I'm sorry, Tsuna... I promise that I'll stop annoying you now..." She pulls out her wallet, and places a couple of hundred Yen on the table. Then she starts to leave.

I open my mouth and mumble, "H-Haru..." She didn't turn her head or stop. I try again, "Haru, wait!"

She didn't.

A cold feeling of fear washes over me; Fear that I just severed our friendship beyond repair. Time starts to slow down, and I realize just how close she was to the door. _If I let her go now... She'll be gone from my life forever!_ This realization steels my heart. All of my fear and doubt disappears for one moment, and in that moment, a surge of courage washes over me. I lunge at Haru and grab her wrist tightly, but gently. "HARU!" I scream, as if it was the last word I could ever say.

She stops, and I hear her gasp in surprise. She turns to me, looking confused on top of looking battered. "What... What are you doing?" Haru says weakly. "Don't you want this?"

I shake my head. "No. This is not what I want."

Haru casts her head down, and her lips quiver. "What does it matter? Even if we were friends, it's clear that all I was doing was barging into your private life. I never once asked if it was okay for me to be with you."

Her words don't sway me to doubt myself; Instead, I feel a more stronger resolve to help her. "That's because I never gave you a chance. It was on me."

Haru shuts her eyes, and I see her grip her right hand into a tight ball. She suddenly tugs her arm, almost knocking me off balance. "It doesn't matter," she says louder, borderlining to a scream. "None of it even matters! Just let me go, and I'll be out of your hair!"

Her tugging get stronger and stronger, and I grab her wrist with my other hand. "No! Please, just let me respond to your confession!"

Haru grabs her arm with her other hand, trying her best to wring herself out. Her feet dig into the floor, and she grunts from her effort. "Why?!" This time, she really does scream. "Why?! You don't like me, right?! So why do I need a reply from you?!"

I stutter, "No... That's not-"

"THEN WHAT IS IT?!" Haru stops tugging, and bellows at the top of her lungs. "WHY DID YOU FAINT WHEN I TOLD YOU THAT I LOVED YOU?!"

I roar as loud as I can, "BECAUSE I WAS AFRAID!"

Haru falls silent. Everyone around us, while they were already quiet, seem to be even more silent. The only noise that I could hear was myself panting, my chest heaving in exhaustion as if I had just ran another mile.

"...Wh... What?" Haru's wrist in my hand goes slack, her effort to pull herself away from my abandoned. She says quietly, "What do you mean? You're... You're one of the strongest people I know. I've seen you fight bad-guys that tried to kill you... What do you have to be afraid of?"

I let my grip loosen, seeing no point of holding her when she was giving me a chance. Perhaps my only chance to fix my mistake and make things right. "All my life, I... I've always lived as the loser."

"Huh?" Haru's eyes widen, just a little bit.

"Ever since elementary school, I was always the kid in last place. I've never gotten a B+ in my life, and I've been held back 3 times in junior high. And it's not just schooling, either. I'm terrible at sports: Baseball, basketball, soccer, tennis... You name it. Almost anything in life, I've failed at it."

Haru's eyes starts to soften. "Ts-Tsuna..."

"I-I'm really sorry for fainting from your confession," I go on, "But to be honest, when you complimented me about strengths that I don't think I have, and when you told me that you wanted to go out with me, it... It made me really happy. I was on cloud nine; Nobody in my life, not even in my dreams, told me how much I was worth like you did." My face starts to warm up again, and I could feel my heart thumping in my ears. My chest starts to twist into knots as the next few words in my brain start to jumble in my mouth.

When I feel my brain in danger of shutting down and saying something stupid, I close my eyes, and take a deep breath. _Don't think of your fear... Don't think of being perfect either..._ I open my eyes, and take a good look at Haru. Her eyes still had tears in them, and she was still looking at me with a confused expression. But despite that, I thought that she looked... That she looked...

 _Beautiful_.

The corners of my mouth stretches up into a smile, and I feel all the knots in my chest wither away in an instant. All that I felt now was good. _Just... Be honest._

"Haru," I say slowly but confidently, "I think I _do_ like you a bit."

Haru's legs start to quake, and she falls onto her knees. I quickly worry that she hurt herself, and I lean down to her. "H-hey, Haru?! Are you alright?"

She doesn't respond to me. Her hand was covering her eyes and the bridge of her nose, and she seemed to be weeping into her hand. However, she mumbles, "It's not nice to give a girl false hope... Tsuna, if you're just saying this to make me feel better, tell me." Haru slowly uncovers her face, and there were tears smudging the space around her eyes. Although she had just bawled minutes earlier, and maybe have been crying all day, she started to have a new batch of tears. Her eyes had a light in them, but I could see her sealing it away from fear. "Please... Don't give me false hope."

"Haru..." I take a deep breath, and answer to myself the question that I've been wondering all day, which felt like centuries: _Do I love Haru?_ I answer myself, and smile in satisfaction from my answer. Then I tell Haru the same thing that I told myself. "Haru, I'm not making this up. I mean everything that I said." My eyes quickly shifts around in nervousness. "A-and if you'd like, umm... H-how about we see a, um, m-movie this Tuesday?"

It came out lame. It came out _super_ lame.

I start to sweat, feeling very self-conscious about my response. I cross my fingers with my left hand, hoping that I didn't just ruin the moment when Haru starts to giggle. It takes me by surprise, especially when her giggling turns into laughing. "H-Haru? What's so funny?"

She keeps laughing for a few more seconds before she can stop. "I'm sorry... It's just that, after all the drama that we just had, after all the hours of heartbreak, _that_ was your answer? That was so simple!"

I blush in embarrassment, realizing that she was totally right. I try to think of something else that I could say, maybe something romantic, when Haru squeezes the hand that I was holding her by. She smiles brightly, the sight of which makes my chest feel warm. "But it's perfect to me."

My heart starts to beat roughly against my chest again. I feel a sense of shyness, as well as something else, swirling around my chest in a way that was hard to comprehend. But this time, I don't push down my emotions. I don't hide what I feel. This time, I let these feelings run through me.

As I squeeze her hand back, I find myself staring deeply into Haru's face. It was at this moment that I really did believe that I was a bit in love with Haru. I tell her, somehow without stuttering, "I'm sorry for being late to answer your question."

Her smile widens, and I could feel myself start to fall in love with it more. "It's okay... You were just like a prince in a fairy tale." Haru then leans in and hugs me, and rests her head on my left shoulder. I've never been this close to a girl before, and the contact makes heart pound faster. As my mind starts to go into havoc again, Haru gently whispers in my ear, "My prince..."

I stare at her, feeling a bit weird about her calling me a prince when I see just how relaxed and happy she was. Her eyes were closed as if she was taking a nap, and her cheeks were red like mine. I decide to not object to it, and let her have this moment. _Her prince..._ I find myself smiling at that image. "Then I guess... T-that makes you my... P _rincess_..." I say, trying to at least say _something_ that was romantic.

Haru giggles in reply, and squeezes me tightly.

* * *

 _Unbeknownst to the two, Reborn was in the shop in his favorite disguise: A potted plant. The entire time since Tsuna left, Reborn was sitting patiently on a counter, hoping that Tsuna would overcome his shyness. Luckily, he wasn't disappointed. When Tsuna apologized to Haru and finally mans up to her feelings, he smirks to himself. "Not bad, Dame Tsuna... No, not 'Dame' anymore. Good work, Tsunayoshi."_

* * *

"Haaaahhhh… I'm so burned out..." My chest and legs was in so much pain from all the running I did today. I was limping home, alone since I was too embarrassed to call one of my friends for help since I know they would ask me what I was doing today. I wasn't ready to tell people about me and Haru... Yet.

But still, I was feeling pretty good right now. Not with just making up with Haru and going on a date with her, but... confronting my feelings about Kyoko.

 _I still think that Kyoko's pretty cute, and that she's an important person to me... But I think I'm ready to move on from doing nothing. I don't want to stand around with a crush that I don't have the courage to chase after._ To be honest, I thought that it was going to be impossible for me to start letting go of my crush on Kyoko. It always felt like I was stabbing her in the back, and would be going back on my own feelings. But when I told Haru that I wanted to go out with her... I made that step towards letting that crush go. And it was more easy and more liberating than I ever thought it could be.

It was hard, of course, for me to finally get to that point. And even now, I could feel swarms of doubt and worry in my mind of how things would turn out. However, even though my head was in a mess, my heart wasn't. It was clear, and it was filling me with a warm happiness that I couldn't believe I have never felt it until now. _Maybe this is the right choice for me. Maybe... Maybe this relationship will actually work out._

My head was filled with so many 'maybes' that I decide to just stop thinking about it, and see for myself where things would go.

As I turn the corner that led to my house, I faintly see Reborn, his black suit making him blend in with the dark bushes. "Ciassou," he says to me after I'm a few feet away from the fence.

"Reborn...! I did! I found Haru, and I made things right with her!"

He smiles widely in such a way that I knew he was really proud of me. "Good work Tsuna. I'm glad to see that you've finally given up your nickname of 'Dame-Tsuna.'"

His praise takes me aback, and I can't help but grin shyly. "W-well, it wasn't only me who did this. You helped push me to respond to Haru's feelings. And because you did, I... I was finally able to confront my feelings about Kyoko too." I pause for a moment as tranquil feeling washes over me. "Reborn," I say meaningfully, "I really want to thank you for all this. I think I'm starting to grow as a person... And as a man. If it wasn't for you, I may not have ever grown this much."

Reborn tilts his head forward so that his hat would cover his face. All I could see was his mouth still in a curved smile. But even in the darkness, I could see how my words touched Reborn. "Nothing that I wouldn't have done. After all, I _am_ your tutor. It's my job to help you grow."

"R-Reborn...!" I stand in silence, not sure how to respond to his words. All I can say that could express my gratitude to him was, "Th-thank you."

Reborn turns around, and I was unsure if he was still smiling or not. "So, since you've maintained your end of the deal, I won't tell Hibari about that test."

"That test? ...Oh right!" With all the drama and emotion this afternoon, I completely forgot about that. "Thanks Reborn! I could not imagine what Hibari would do to me if he found out-"

"Oh, but you don't have to imagine. He found out your secret."

...

"Eh?"

Reborn turns back to me. "When I left that note on counter, it turns out that Hibird was looking at it. He then sang my note all day... Including when he flew back to his master."

"His... Master...!" As I start to realize what Reborn was saying, I hear a noise from my house. I look over to my right and catch a glimpse Hibari himself on the roof of my house, right before he jumps off it and lands right between me and Reborn. "Hiiii! H-Hibari!"

He slowly looks at me, and his face was full of anger and malice that I've never seen before. " _Tsuna... I heard E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G._ "

Reborn gives me a look of pity, as if I were a stray dog. "I'm sorry Tsuna. And right when you were about to become a real man…."

Hibari takes a step towards me, but it didn't feel like it was a person taking a step towards me: It felt like _DEATH_ was taking a step towards me!

He flashes his tonfas, which gleams in the dark, and he growls with a voice that makes my blood freeze, **"** **This time,** **I will truly bite you to death."**

"W-wait no, I... I...

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

* * *

As Tsuna's screams echoed into the night, Haru was busy at home choosing what dress she should wear. She was singing to herself, feeling like the luckiest girl in the world. _I can't believe it! My first date with Tsuna! I'll have to wear an extra-special dress!_ _Maybe this one… Ooh, that one's good too! Or maybe I should call Bianchi-san and Kyoko-chan to shop for a new dress? Hnnnn, I can't decide what to pick!_

 _...Though, Haru kinda likes this feeling. Hee-hee!_


End file.
